How to Keep Your Sanity During the Holiday Season!

It's that time of year- 23 days until Christmas! Time for gift shopping, baking, Holiday parties, spending time with family- it can be overwhelming!! Here are some of my ideas to keep the Holidays from becoming too stressful so that you can enjoy them instead of losing your sanity!

1.) Use Disposable Plates + cups! There are so many options for pretty Holiday dinnerware- don't get stuck in the kitchen loading the dishwasher all night.

2.) Go Food-shopping ahead of time- make out a list of everything and have your fridge & pantry stocked for all of the baking and cooking that you will be doing. The worst thing is being in the middle of a recipe and realizing that you have no eggs!

3.) Say No to some parties- there is no possible way to attend every party and if you say yes to everything, then you end up being stressed and annoyed.

4.) Do your gift-shopping online! I pretty much do ALL of my shopping online- between Amazon, Starbucks, Anthropologie, Nordstroms, Target. Trust me- it's so much nicer sitting at home having a cappuccino while ordering Christmas gifts instead of being in the store waiting in lines and fighting traffic!

5.) Take some time for yourself- read a book, have a hot cocoa, go for a walk. Everything else can wait, I promise.

6.) Have a fun gift-wrapping party! Having your girl-friends help you wrap gifts makes it so much more fun & adds meaning to the Holidays instead of it feeling like such a chore. Maybe even throw in a glass of wine + some cheese and make it really amazing!

7.) Don't get stuck with annoying family members. Everyone knows how it is to go to the Holiday parties & there is always that inquisitive family member that asks too many questions or tells the most embarrassing stories. My best tip is to find another place to sit or excuse yourself to the restroom- don't get stuck beside them for long periods of time.At my house- there are always family outside and inside, so there's always an easy escape.

8.) Make Cleaning less stressful! Either hire a maid for a before & after clean during the Holidays or have the family pitch in & help. Don't try to do everything on your own!

9.) And last of all Enjoy your Holidays!! Take time out with family to play board games, go to a Christmas Festival/Lights, have a bonfire with s'mores + hot cocoa, donate to the homeless, help others- do some fun things, don't let the Holidays become so stressful until there is no fun left!